Sewists, Check Out This Amazing Work by Mea!

Sewist’s Name: Mea Cadwell

Name of Pattern: Original Design

Featured Date: 10-07-24

Hi, I’m Mea Cadwell and this is my Tudor (Anne Boleyn timeframe) outfit I made. It’s mostly handsewn and is historically accurate. It took 18 years from start to completion and is the reason I started sewing to begin with. I wear it for Halloween and to the Renaissance Faire. 

About 18 years ago I was invited to go to the Renaissance Faire in Shakopee, Minnesota (we live about 2 hours away). I was excited because I’d never been to a ren faire and thought it’d be a blast to dress up. Looked online but couldn’t afford the gorgeous things I saw there so decided I’d better figure out how to sew if I wanted an outfit. And, knowing me, I couldn’t pick something easy, like a tavern wench outfit, oh no, I had to pick something intricate, like a Tudor outfit (aka Anne Bolyne period or the 1530s). Le sigh.

It includes: shift (with blackwork; pictured below), partlet, bumroll, stockings, garters, headdress, detachable sleeves (over, under, and forearm), bodice that laces up the sides, skirt, girdle belt, zibellini (flea fur), and fan…all made by me. 🙂

When I started sewing I discovered I had a knack for it…who knew! Just so you know, I can’t read a pattern for my life so I draft everything myself. Back when I started this outfit, the internet wasn’t the way it is now – there weren’t nearly as many sewing websites, tutorials or videos like there is currently, so what I did was a bunch of trial and error (and inventing cusswords…I got really good at that, lol). 

The majority of this outfit is handsewn but the bodice is machine sewn, because of all the layers, as is the trim on the headdress veil because hand sewing satin = shudder. Of course I didn’t make the shoes and I bought the stockings (I have rheumatoid arthritis, and bone spurs in my neck that compress nerves so my fingertips are numb – doubt I’ll ever learn to knit).

The very first thing I made was the shift with hand embroidered blackwork and handmade crocheted lace around the collars and cuffs (I know crochet really isn’t period but I don’t know how to tat either).

The dress bodice, detachable sleeves, and skirt is made of merlot velveteen. 

Since I have to dress myself I used side lacing which made it much easier than back lacing.

There are too many pearls on the bodice so please don’t ask how many I used – if I found out how many pearls are on this outfit I think it would make me tired.

The front triangle of fabric on the skirt and outer sleeves is upholstery fabric I found at a garage sale. 

Then came the partlet. The necklines were so square and wide back then many women wore partlets to be more modest. Mine is made of an organza curtain I just happened to find at a secondhand store. Too many pearls later and it was done.

After that was the girdle, fan and zibellini (which means flea fur, they thought wearing fur would entice any fleas onto the fur instead of them).

The zibellini is made from a real fur I found at an antique store, the head is made from paper mache cardboard egg carton, painted over, with wirework and beading. If you look up zibellini you’ll be amazed at how intricate those things are.

The girdle (which you can’t really see but is holding up the fan and zibellini) is a bunch of necklaces from secondhand stores I put together. The fan is a styrofoam circle from the dollar store with feathers glued all over it and leather wrapped crafting sticks (yay, dollar store) glued to the styrofoam. It was showing it’s age so I actually bought a new one this year.

And, I just happened to find the shoes at a secondhand store as well! I completely lucked out because they’re comfy! While they aren’t exactly period, they’re close enough.

The most recent additions (finished at the beginning of this September) is the headdress, the foresleeves and oversleeves.

The headdress is made of milliner’s wire covered by buckram glued into place, then I cheated and used cotton batting to cover up any lumps and covered everything with black velveteen. Again, MANY pearls later and it was done.

The foresleeves are made with a golden damask tablecloth found at, you guessed it, a secondhand store and stuffed with tulle to make them puff out – they’re tied to the inside of the oversleeves.

The oversleeves were the last addition to this outfit. Thank goodness, lol. I cheated because I was I’d run out of time before we were going to the ren faire this year (I finished them the day before we went!) I used elastic on the upper part to just slide them up over my detachable sleeves.

After catching the sewing bug, and making several costumes that span from the Viking era to the Victorian era, this is my favorite costume. I’ve worn it a lot, which is why I had to update a few things on it this year…it was showing it’s age.

I cannot begin to tell you how many pearls I used so don’t ask! lol!

Thanks!

Mea

Remember, you can submit YOUR project to Quilt & Tell or Sew & Tell! Learn how to enter here!

Want to see past Sew & Tell submissions? Click here!

Don’t forget to follow Nancy’s Notions on Facebook! Click here! We are also on Instagram! Click here!

Be sure to check out our Nancy’s Notions Homepage, where you can find links to over 60 different categories of sewing and quilting topics! That’s over 400 articles! Click here!